Google Maps Update Boosts Street View, Revives Pegman

Google continues to tweak the new Google Maps preview, this week adding a number of new features to the next-generation map service, including Pegman and some improvements to Street View.

Google continues to tweak the new Google Maps preview, this week adding a number of features to the next-generation map service, including Pegman and some improvements to Street View.

"With the latest updates, Earth Tours will take you on a virtual trip through cities and natural wonders in full 3D, while Street View imagery and real time traffic incidents will help to ensure smooth travels," Google Maps product manager Kelvin Ho wrote in a blog post.

Based on user feedback, Google has made it easier to see where Street View is available. The Web giant is bringing back the friendly Pegman, who you may remember from the old Google Maps, to serve as "your personal tour-guide through Street View."

The little yellow man (above) lives in the lower-right corner of your screen; click on him, and the areas with Street View imagery will light up in blue. From there you can hover over any highlighted road for a street-level preview, then click to dive into that location.

As you zero in on a location, you'll also see blue circles indicating where you can find user-uploaded photos, including 360-degree Photo Spheres taken from the land, air, and sea. Click on a yellow circle to see inside restaurants, museums, and more.

You also can now get a 3D virtual tour of thousands of locations with Earth Tours (right), available on WebGL-enabled browsers like Chrome. Click on Google's new Earth Tour icon for a tour of the area's buildings and terrain from a birds-eve view.

"With these features, you can explore an increasing variety of locations, inside and out," Ho said.

Besides that, the update introduces step-by-step direction previews to help you get to your destination a little easier. With this feature, you'll see a street-level snapshot of each "decision point" on your route, including transit transfers, so you'll know exactly what to expect. Click "Preview steps" from the directions card and advance through for a preview of your journey.

"Save time commuting and navigate the roads accurately with traffic incident reports," Ho said. "When you search for driving directions, you'll now see congestion along the route and real time incidents on the map, including data reported by Waze."

The new features began rolling out on Wednesday to those who have opted into the new Google Maps preview. In the coming weeks, Google will expand the new Maps experience to more users, Ho said.

Angela has been a PCMag reporter since January 2012. Prior to joining the team, she worked as a reporter for SC Magazine, covering everything related to hackers and computer security. Angela has also written for The Northern Valley Suburbanite in New Jersey, The Dominion Post in West Virginia, and the Uniontown-Herald Standard in Pennsylvania. She is a graduate of West Virginia University's Perely Isaac Reed School of Journalism.
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